I had applied for the Adoption Counselor position (part time) after a friend of mine who was currently employed put in a good word for me. Immediately after applying I was invited fora phone interview, to which I waited a few days to respond to. On a the following Saturday, I took the phone interview, which was an automated process that took about 20 minutes to complete (most of the questions were asked a second time during the in-person interview). Not long after, I received an email requesting to schedule an in-person interview! I was delighted and made haste to reply. The interview itself was about an 1 1/2 hours long but it was positive for the most part. The atmosphere was lighthearted and the interviewers were very polite and friendly. Maybe I was a bit repetitive with my answering of questions, but with 3 pages (!) of interview questions, they also begin to get repetitive. However I did emphasize the importance of teamwork and communication because at my current workplace, those two qualities are what is sinking the business. I didn't want to get my hopes up, but I felt pretty confident. Ultimately I was denied the position with a brief email stating they were searching for more qualified candidates. I was confused by this because I've worked in a veterinary clinic for about a year and a half and have had at least 5 years of customer service experience. Then I find out a few weeks later that the position opened up again. Which obviously is very upsetting.

You will first have a phone interview then if they want to move forward you will have an in person interview. Typically there are 2-3 people taking turns asking questions, mostly situational (tell me about a time when….) then they will let you know if you’re hired. It’s sometimes a long process and don’t be discouraged if you’re not hired the first time just keep applying. Don’t be afraid to refer to situations in your day to day life that might not seem directly relevant to animal care. At least that’s how it was when I started there, seems to be a lot higher turnover these days so it might be different.